Their Story
by piratelass11
Summary: Mori was looking for something, though he'd never admit it. She held his hand, saying it would be fine.
1. Introduction to Solitude

Hello, everyone! This is my first (published) bit of fanfiction. Woohoo!! Usually I write like 4ish chapters and then am like "Screw it, I'm done", but I'm endeavoring to put an end to that now.

Before you begin, I'd just like you to know, I've never been a huge fan of Host Club (or any anime, for that matter) fanfictions where a character is paired with someone who is not in that anime/manga, and the author just made up, because usually that person is just a reflection on the author themselves. I've striven to not do that. So, I hope you'll overlook my slight hypocrisy and give Ame Reizei a chance! (Ame means rain... yeah. I'm pretty damn creative!!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Host Club, as much as I'd love to own Mori. It all belongs to Bisco Hatori, lucky her...

**CHAPTER ONE: Introduction to Solitude**

* * *

It was her life. She rose in the mornings and sank in the night, like the sun, and life happened in between. As a woman she was foreign to herself. As a girl she was lonely. But this was her life, and that was how she lived. Alone. 

She grew to love the rain. It's cold touch on her warm skin, its musky smell on a summer's day, and the sound. She loved the sound. It soothed her nerves and made her house not feel as if there was always someone knocking on the door. Or talking. Some days it sounded like laughter. On other days it sounded like crying. The rain almost always seemed to echo her mood. And it should do just that, as rain was a part of her.

Her name was Ame Reizei.

* * *

Seventeen winters, but this was the coldest. She was late because her winter coat was in storage, which essentially meant it could be anywhere. When she finally managed to dig it out of the heaps of rubbish she scarcely used anymore, she made another realization. 

_The car's at the garage._

With seventeen blocks to run, she took off without any breakfast. Not that she would have cooked some anyway.

* * *

Seventeen blocks, and she was there. Ouran High School. Academy of the great and those who aspire to greatness. She passed through the gateway and up the steps, and then heaved her weight against the doors to the academy. She looked at the clock. 

_First block is nearly over…!_

Her heart sunk. She bolted up the grand staircase and down the hall to her classroom, turned the corner—

SMACK!!

Her head collided with something hard and she fell to the ground. In shock she dropped her bag, and the contents now lay scattered on the floor. She endeavored to recollect her belongings, when a hand appeared in front of her face.

"Here."

Her eyes rose to find the object she had run into. He was a boy, tall, and he loomed over her with an expressionless face. Ame knew he was Takashi Morinozuka, and she recognized the small boy beside him as Mitsukuni Haninozuka. She suddenly felt like she shouldn't look straight at them; they were both members of the Host Club, and just being in their presence was overwhelming.

"I'm fine," she said, staring at the floor while she stood up. Morinozuka retracted his hand. In hopes that she had effectively stopped all further conversation and that they would now leave, she bent over to pick up her scattered books. She felt a shadow on her back and watched as the hand reached for a book next to her.

"I'll help."

It wasn't like she had never really been so close to a boy before; that's not why she was so flustered. In fact, maybe she didn't even know why, but she was still startled by his deep voice ringing so close to her ear. She took the book he handed to her with gratitude.

"Let me help too, Takashi!"

Little Haninozuka jumped up like a sprite, grabbing every little piece of paper that had flown from her bag with a face so determined and concentrated that it was silly. He returned them with a look of sheer glee. His smile made her smile a little, too.

"Thank you," she said, and she walked away, certain that she would never see either of them again.

* * *

"Takashi! Takashi!" 

"What is it, Mitsukuni?"

"That girl—she was pretty, wasn't she?"

"…"

They were walking to class now; Mori was carrying Hunny's bag.

"I know that girl—she's in Tama-chan's class, isn't she? She doesn't talk a lot. I think she's really pretty!"

"…"

If someone were to merely observe one of Hunny and Mori's conversations in passing, they might think there was little depth to it, since Hunny was usually the only one talking, and his cuteness basically negated anything that made the conversations seem important. It didn't match his personality. But these conversations; they definitely meant something. In the small, limited world of Mori and Hunny, everything made perfect sense.

"I wonder what her name is. We could ask Tama-chan, right? I bet she's really nice! Maybe we could have her over to the host club sometime and eat lots of cake! Usa-chan would like it a lot if we had more friends…" Hunny held his stuffed rabbit close to his chest.

"Mitsukuni…"

He wouldn't pat his head like a child; despite his un-aging appearance Hunny was only a little younger than Mori. He may look like a child, but Mori knew better than to treat him as such. He cared for him, genuinely, like a dog cares for his master, but he would not comfort him with displays of physical affection like hugs or pats on the head. Their relationship was beyond that; it was one of deep understanding. Mori could dispel all Hunny's anxieties just by saying his name.

Hunny smiled warmly. He understood what Mori meant without him saying it. "Okay, Takashi. I'll take my bag now," and then, in his cheery way, "You can hold Usa-chan!"

"Nn."

And so they continued down the hall, this unlikely pair, bags and rabbit both in tow.

* * *

"Takashi!" 

Mori never really felt like he suited the life of a host, though if you did not know this you would think he was managing it exceptionally well.

Most people took his silence as a token that he was a great deal internally focused. Part of his charm was in his mystery. Sometimes (though admittedly not very often), even Hunny found his expressions indecipherable.

"Look! Look!"

As for why he joined the Host Club, there was almost no mystery there. His undying loyalty and companionship for Mitsukuni Haninozuka, his cousin, who he had an inborn tendency to protect was the reason. When Hunny wanted to join the club, Mori was right there with him.

"Oh, Hunny-senpai, that's wonderful!"

"Good job! It's adorable!"

"Takashi, Takashi look!"

Mori embraced the fact that without Hunny, he was almost nothing; just another pretty face with only monosyllabic expressions to give. Hunny gave him depth, character, emotion; he essentially defined what Mori was. And Mori did not view this as a negative thing, necessarily. He had long since dedicated his life to being with Hunny, bringing him joy, making him smile. It brought him nothing but delight, being able to spend his time with Hunny, day after day.

He smiled.

"Good, Mitsukuni."

As far as Mori was concerned, this was bliss.


	2. Walk With Me

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of Ouran High School Host Club, and I most likely never will. It all belongs to Bisco Hatori.

Edit: Sorry, guys, I've been having some trouble with this chapter... I had to delete it, then add it again with new stuff. Ack! I also gave it a new title.

**CHAPTER TWO: Walk With Me**

* * *

"I'm sorry." 

A girl in his grade: Yukiko Hanatsumi, class 3-B, had requested a private audience with him afterschool. She held a letter feebly in her hand.

"Why? Why can't you return my feelings…? Just give me a chance… I can—" She began to cry. She tried to choke out the rest of her sentence, but was too upset. Her nose became red. The name on the envelope, Morinozuka, written in crisp, neat letters became blurry and illegible to her watery eyes.

"But… I…I…" She tried again, but couldn't finish it. She looked up to him, begging him to understand, to reconsider, to take her letter, but he did not move. He did not look sad or happy or mad. His onyx eyes gazed down into hers, neither comforting nor condemning her. God, she loved that. The way he stood so tall and was so quiet. She wanted to be the one to get him to open up; the one that he would hold and kiss and reveal all his secrets to. Why couldn't he?

She turned and ran, flinging down the letter, hoping he would read it. Hoping that if he did, he would change his mind.

He did pick it up. He did not read it, and he didn't intend to. He pocketed it and walked away. A sigh escaped his lips, a sigh that contained within it more emotion than he had felt all day. He told Mitsukuni that he would be staying late at kendo club today, but since he saw that girl cry, he really didn't feel like it anymore.

* * *

The day was done, and she was glad. She had survived another day of lectures and homework. She had survived another day sitting, cramming her head with knowledge that she accepted without question. She was tired. She wanted something good to come of this day, or any day, and the last chance for that thing was at home. But there was nothing at home. No one waiting for her. That was her life, her decision. Or at least, that's what she told herself. 

Maybe she'd switch things up today. She couldn't stand returning to an empty house; she'd much rather stay at school and study, where at least she could be comforted by other people's conversations. Hearing other people talk made her feel less alone, even though they weren't talking to her.

Alas, the first library was full, as were all the others. There was a conference in her classroom. Bands and hosts making noise in the Music Rooms. She resigned herself to the fact that wherever she went now, no one else would be. So she went outside.

It was cold, but there was a bench that she could sit on that was not entirely covered in snow. She went through her bag, taking out her binders and books, setting them down beside her and finishing her homework, class by class. It was then that she realized that her history binder was missing. A frigid gust of wind blew over her, sweeping cold flakes of snow onto her lap. She brushed them off. It must have fallen out (the binder, that is) when she had bumped into the hosts in the hallway.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way back indoors.

* * *

It was getting late. The Host Club closed an hour ago, and since Mori had elected not to go to kendo, the only thing left to do was return home. Hunny had left ahead of him after the host club had ended, and now Mori was on his way back as well. 

He was walking down the hallway on his way to the Grande Entrance when he saw a binder lying on the marble floor. It didn't take him long to realize that it must have been that girl's, the one he had ran into earlier that day. Carefully he picked it up and examined it. There was nothing particularly interesting about this binder. It was just like any other binder you would find in a commoner's store. He tucked it under his arm, deciding that he would find her tomorrow and give it back.

"…ait!"

Hunny had thought that she was pretty, or at least he said that she was. Mori thought he had an idea of what his friend was trying to do when he said she was pretty. Lately Mori had been feeling a little empty; it may have been because graduation was just around the corner or for any other reason, but Mori was sure that Hunny was aware of the hunger that Mori was feeling. He needed something else. He needed something to make him whole again. And Hunny must have taken that to mean that he needed someone to hold onto and protect like he had always protected Hunny.

"..ey, wait!"

But still, why would Hunny have picked that girl? Maybe because she looked a little like Haruhi. Mori and Hunny both enjoyed time spent with Haruhi. She was a wonderful girl. She would talk to Hunny about cakes and his Usa-chan, and she was one of the dew people who were able to actually connect with Mori. But that didn't mean Mori wanted her to be his, or any other girl who looked like her.

"Hey!"

I mean, just because that girl _looked_ like Haruhi didn't mean she _acted_ like Haruhi. Or maybe Hunny was trying to tell Mori something else. Maybe Hunny… was it possible?... did Hunny _like_ this girl?

"Stop!!"

Someone was yelling. Mori turned. It was the girl.

"You just kept walking… did you hear me?" Her cheeks were tinted pink and she was breathing quickly. She must have been trying very hard to get his attention.

Mori looked at her closely. No, he decided, she did not look like Haruhi. Her eyes were blue, but they did have the same hair. Her cheeks got pinker.

Her eyes were drawn to the binder that Mori had under his arm. "Is that mine?" Mori pulled it out and looked at it. "Can I have it back?" Mori looked from the binder back to her face. He said nothing, but he wondered why she was at school so late. Outside, snow and wind were howling against the trees. Did she have a car? Would she be alright getting home on such a night?

He turned away from her and walked towards the door. "Hey, stop!" she cried as he began to leave. "Where are you going with my binder?"

He turned to her once again, his onyx eyes piercing straight through her sapphire ones. "Where do you live?"

* * *

The question rang in her ears. Was he hitting on her? "W…what?" Was he holding her binder hostage? 

He turned away again and started walking down the grande staircase. "I'm taking you home."

Ame noticed the wind outside, how it howled against the trees and made them waver. She remembered how cold it had been that morning when she was fishing out her winter coat. He was offering to walk her home. It was a kind gesture (and a bold statement!), but not one she needed.

"I can get there on my own." She jogged to catch up with him and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. He just looked at her. In the Host Club, she knew, he was the (oh, what was the word?) stoic, hardened sort of character, but here he was now, outside the Host Club, still such a mystery. He didn't turn away and keep walking this time as she'd expected him to. He looked at her, and she looked at him. His face was so long and slender, his hair glimmered under the light of the chandelier, the way the black ocean glimmers under the moon. She suddenly felt self-conscious, as if being in the presence of one so beautiful made her every flaw painfully apparent.

"Please."

What? Her eyes shot up to his face. Had she missed something? He looked at her with steely sincerity. Did he just ask her to _let_ him take her home? He turned from her walked towards the door. Was he playing with her mind? She remembered how earnest he was to help her earlier that morning. He was a gentleman. He was a caring person. She made her decision about him as she slowly moved down the staircase towards the door which Mori was holding open for her, ready to step out into the stormy weather with by her side.

* * *

The seventeen awkward blocks that they walked in silence pained Ame. Still, she was glad that he chose to come along. The streets were spooky at night, and she was quite cold. She stole glances at Mori from time to time, but he never looked back. His head was always pointed straight ahead, determined, focused. He was at least a foot taller than her, and it surprised her to see that he wore only a thin jacket with a kendo logo. She shivered. 

_I'm frozen._

It was then that the awkward silence was broken by the sound of swooping as Mori swiftly removed his jacket and placed it onto her shoulders. "Here," was all he said.

His sudden act of chivalry took her by surprise. "N-no, I'm fine really," she tried to take it off but he kept his hands firmly on her shoulders. She saw goosebumps on his arms when she realized that he was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.

"Really, I don't need it!" she insisted but he would not let her give it back. Was she just being silly by rejecting such a kind gesture?

"Fine," she said, but she had a compromise in mind. She took off her own winter coat, put on the kendo jacket he had given her, and gave him her winter coat. He hesitated and looked at her as though she must have been kidding.

_Didn't see that coming_, she thought to herself with a smile as she thrust the winter coat at him. "I know you're cold, too. Take it." He turned away to hide his confusion. "Take it! I'm not gonna let you be cold just so that I can be warm. Take my coat."

Hesitantly, he obliged.


	3. A Day of Rest

Hey guys, I'm finally back (to fanfiction, that is)! I know, it's been a while since I've published anything... Sorry for the wait! I didn't know this story would be so well recieved, haha!

I'd like to thank everyone who's subscribed to this story and who has reviewed it. It really means a lot to me, and I love to hear what you have to say, be it good or bad (though I haven't had anything bad yet, thankfully!)

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Host Club. It's all Bisco Hatori's. So there.

Please enjoy my third chapter; the fourth is on its way!

**CHAPTER FOUR: A Day of Rest**

* * *

A bright new day was already breaking from behind the sullen, grey clouds, but Ame still found herself reliving the events of the previous night. 

_Was it a dream?_

No, she asserted, Takashi Morinozuka, member of the Host and Kendo Club, had indeed walked her home. Though she was certain there was no more to this encounter than what has just been described, she couldn't stop her heart from fluttering just a little bit when she thought of it. Face to face, they had only met twice, but oh, how handsome that face was! It had left an indelible impression on her brain that she both resented and relished in.

She decided to relive it once again.

The image of him in her puffy blue rain jacket crept its way back into her memory, and her mind glowed with the humor of it. How odd the two of them must have looked! He was a good foot and a bit taller than her, and so her jacket (while it only went to Ame's upper thigh) was far too small on him, only barely reaching his midsection. And his navy kendo jacket, which he so kindly had offered to her, went down at least to her knees. When she remembered how he had laid the jacket silently on her shoulders, it was almost as if she could still feel the warmth of it on her skin. Sitting in bed, she wrapped her covers tightly around her and let out a sigh of pleasure, for though her bed was always cold, the memory of Morinozuka's body heat kept her warm.

And then something came to her attention, and the warmth instantly left her. What time was it? She bolted out of bed and immediately began rummaging around her untidy mess of a room like a madman. School started at nine o'clock, sharp and—

A searing pain cut through Ame's line of vision, and she felt as though she would be sick. Her head pounded in protest against all her sudden movements, and so she resigned herself back to her bed, pulled up the covers, and lay there for a minute. It occurred to her that in her gallivanting out in the howling wind and snow had given, she must had caught a cold.

_Great_, she thought as she pulled up the covers, _Now__ I'll have to call in sick._

* * *

Lying in bed, Ame resented to snowflakes fluttering outside, not because of their icy, mystical elegance, but because they weren't stuck inside like she was. 

True, there are many good things about staying at home. First, you don't have to go to school, and since Ame had been too preoccupied last night to finish her history paper, a sick day gave her plenty of time to write it. Second, you get to take it slow for a day. Ame could sleep, drink some soup, watch TV, and basically just chill for a day. So why was she so upset?

It sounds crazy, but home was actually Ame's least favorite place to be. Everywhere she walked, every room she entered reminded her just how alone she was. Every surface of the house was bare, covered only with the absolute necessities. If someone other than herself were to enter this house, they'd probably think no one lived there at all. In a sense, this was true. Home was a place Ame could work, study, and sleep. She ate out for all her meals. There was no TV, no books (except those required for school), no food and, most importantly, no family. No mother busy cooking breakfast in the kitchen. No father sitting at the breakfast table, reading the paper. No brothers, no sisters, no pets. Nothing. She was alone, and that's why she hated being confined here for a whole day: it made that fact painfully apparent.

With nothing else to do, Ame decided to put off her paper a while longer and lay in bed. Outside, she heard the mailman making his daily run, and a neighbor taking his dog for a walk. Everybody, it seemed, had somebody. What did she have?

Her mind began to drift back to Morinozuka, and she didn't try to stop it. He had everything, it seemed, and she was jealous. He probably woke up in his king-sized bed every morning in a warm, safe house, ate breakfast with his family, and went to school, where he was top of his class and had friends and Haninozuka, that adorable little sprite of a friend. How did their worlds manage to collide?

She sensed the danger in these thoughts and tried to put a stop to them. Perhaps the cold had gone to her head, causing these crazy thoughts, but what could she do about it except let them take their course? Out of the corner of her eye she saw his navy blue kendo jacket sitting on the back of her chair. Gingerly, she slipped the jacket off of the chair and onto her body. The material was thin and didn't supply much warmth, but when she laid her head back on her pillow to get some sleep, a small smile crept its way onto her face.


End file.
